


Favourite Client

by Spookje



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Prostitution, Aromantic, Brothels, Fluff and Smut, Hook-Up, M/M, No Strings Attached, Prostitution, Sexual Roleplay, Slight Power Play, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-27
Updated: 2020-05-27
Packaged: 2021-03-03 05:20:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 19,263
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24409447
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spookje/pseuds/Spookje
Summary: Minseok is a prostitute. His days focus on his new client Chen, a young, laid back man who piques Minseok's interest. Luckily he becomes a regular, or unluckily when his presence starts to kindle more than just an income.
Relationships: Kim Jongdae | Chen/Kim Minseok | Xiumin
Comments: 5
Kudos: 35





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> It's an old fic I sorta posted on here but then I was stupid and deleted it. So hereby, here it is again. Original post on [AFF](https://www.asianfanfics.com/story/view/1224168/favorite-client)

The red light on either sides of the window illuminated Minseok’s body. His loose-fitting wifebeater hung low, enough to show a nipple if he made a sudden move. The few pushups he did beforehand defined his biceps, a routine he repeated every fifteen minutes he’d be waiting there. Today he had chosen for a more meek image, his hair flat and little to no make-up on. Combined with the short shorts, he definitely didn’t look his actual 25-year-old self. It was a popular look, many old men enjoyed the sight of a young boy more than a grown man. It wasn’t a proud moment for Minseok, feeding into these perverted thoughts, but bills had to be paid somehow. It was one of the few reasons found itself in the ages’ old profession of prostitution to begin with. His tale was one of many. He grew up in a difficult family, dropped out of high school and eventually got tired of his part time job at the supermarket. If he was going to do a job where he’d be degraded at, he might as well get some good cash from it.

Tonight, like any Tuesday, was a slow one. Most of his regulars visited him on the weekends. During the week most people pretended they were not sex deprived and chose to focus on work until their urges kicked in on their days off. It made week days quite long, but it didn’t mean he wouldn’t try to earn a few bucks. Sometimes he thought about staying home, but it would save him money on electricity and heating by being here. He had his own room in the brothel, which luckily came with a private bathroom. He saved a lot of costs on his own apartment by staying here all the time. It would have been even more perfect if he was allowed to take residency in the brothel.

As if God had listened to his prayers, which would have been a first in his life, a young gentleman walked up to Minseok’s window. Minseok gave him one of his signature booty shakes and then bent forward to wink at him with a crooked finger reeling him in. Bent over, his wifebeater left little to the imagination.

The man seemed interested enough, but hesitant to make a decision. It left Minseok with more time to take in the man’s features. Short in stature, probably the same height as Minseok, slick dark hair that seemed like he was one day short of needing a cut, strong cheekbones and damn, the cutest smile Minseok had seen in a while. Even with the slightly lost look on his face, his lips were curled in a smile.

Minseok had clients of all age, his regulars luckily only consisted of three old farts among the many younger generation clients. Each demanded a different approach and it was what Minseok enjoyed discovering. In a way, prostitution was nothing more than the ultimate customer service. Regulars were comfortable to be around, they were easy to read and he knew what they expected of him. Yet, something exciting about new customers was speculating what they would enjoy, how they wished to be treated in the bedroom and whether they’d be of the clingy-after-sex type or not. This guy definitely looked the part for that.

Another wink and nudge added, the man caved in and went to the entrance of the brothel. Minseok removed himself from the window and closed the curtains, stretching out once before taking a seat on the bed. Surely enough, the usual two knocks on the door indicated he had a client. The brothel was fancy enough to have a receptionist, which was mostly installed to secure the prostitutes from anything nasty and to make sure each client could be traced back if they didn’t pay up.

‘Hi,’ the man from earlier said and stood before Minseok. In this light, he looked more youthful, more pure than when he stood outside.

‘Hey,’ Minseok replied. He lifted himself up to talk on eye-level, who indeed had the same height as him give or take a few centimeters. ‘What can I do for you tonight?’

‘I’m looking for a good time, but I guess that’s a given, right?’ He chuckled.

‘Of course,’ Minseok smirked as he answered, squinting his eyes slightly, ‘but you are going to need to be a little more specific on what you call having a good time.’

‘I don’t have any specific requests. Surprise me… Your name?’

_Interesting_ , Minseok thought. ‘Xiumin, call me Xiumin.’

‘Alright, Xiumin,’ he dragged the name on as if to test it. ‘That’s not your real name, right? It sounds cool though, kind of exotic. I want an alias as well!’ The man exclaimed happily, before he put his hand to his chin for a moment. ‘How about Chen?’

‘Chen it is,’ Minseok agreed. Most customers chose aliases as well, either popular domestic names or straight up the weirdest shit they could come up with. This was very mild.

‘Sit down, make yourself comfortable,’ Minseok commanded rather than suggested before he took a seat himself.

Chen took off his shoes and placed them neatly at the door, then strode over to the bed and sat down on it with his feet tugged under his legs. He fidgeted a bit with his hands. It must have been his first time at a brothel. He could even be a virgin, _how great would that be?_

‘So, Chen, since you want me to surprise you. Are you into blindfolds?’ Minseok suggested. He’d always been a fan of blindfolds himself, it intensified the others’ senses and gave Minseok a bit more control over the situation.

‘Sure.’ Chen shrugged and leaned forward. Minseok undid his handkerchief from his wrists. He often wore them as bracelets to make sure he always had it within reaching distance. Chen watched him intently, smiling and waiting till Minseok folded and tied the kerchief over his eyes. Then he leaned in again, this time latching his lips onto Minseok’s neck and nibbled softly.

Minseok let him, while his hands found the slender man’s body, trailing it down his shirt to map its curves and features. The man was surprisingly buff underneath his clothes. Muscles defined his chest and stomach, but not protruding enough to call him a musclehead. Minseok wasn’t necessarily into muscled men, so this was just perfect.

He grabbed Chen’s chin and raised it. He gave it a moment’s thought before he placed his lips against his. They moved instinctively against Minseok’s. Chen gotten pliant almost right away, his soft lips opening for him. The man sighed into the kiss when Minseok’s fingers found a nipple and played with it.

‘Hmm, you like that?’ Minseok asked, placing his other hand on the man’s thigh, massaging slowly upwards his jeans. Then, he pulled away from the kiss.

‘You really want me to surprise you, or can you tell me what you want?’ He whispered against his ear as his hands gotten around to removing the shirt Chen was wearing.

‘Suck me,’ Chen replied with no hesitation. Minseok barked a laugh and shook his head. He pressed Chen down onto the bed. His fingers worked on the buttons of his jeans as Chen laid there waiting.

‘Are you always this meek or are you nervous?’ Minseok asked. He hadn’t even touched Minseok yet.

‘Neither, but it wouldn’t be very surprising for me if I took control. Right, Xiumin?’ His lips curled into a smile.

‘You’re right.’ Minseok replied as he pulled down Chen’s pants along with his underwear. Chen moved underneath him, a little shaken from his sudden nudity.

‘You’ll be hot soon enough, dear.’

Minseok gave him a quick peck before his lips wandered to his neck. It was astonishing how receptive Chen’s body was, reacting to every little administration Minseok made on it. Moving further south, his breath blew on Chen’s hardened member and it twitched in anticipation. Minseok ignored it and suckled on the skin above it.

‘Don’t be such a tease,’ Chen whined, but his laughter betrayed his amusement.

Minseok grabbed a condom from the nightstand and pulled the package open, skillfully placing it on Chen’s penis and rolling it down. He made sure to always use flavored condoms, in particular blueberry. The taste and smell was more like a chemically treated blueberry after it has been rotten for a while, but it was always better than nothing.

He first nibbled on the base before he made his way to the tip, sucking and licking the latex covered shaft, taking it in slowly. Chen moaned from the contact and his hips automatically bucked up, only to be pressed down by Minseok who had foreseen it happening.

Once fully inside his mouth, which wasn’t much of an accomplishment because Chen was not that well-endowed, he placed his tongue against his cock and hollowed his cheeks out to suck. His head bobbed while his hands caressed Chen’s softly defined abs. Chen moaned in pleasure, his toes curling from the touch of his sensitive part.

Chen’s hand reached out to Minseok’s and squeezed it. He brought Minseok’s hand to his mouth and started sucking two of his fingers. Combined with the moans in between, the built-up saliva around Minseok’s fingers made lewd noise as Minseok pushed them further into Chen’s mouth and wiggled them around. He had stopped sucking his dick to marvel at the greatness of his client, sucking eagerly on his fingers with his blind fold on and his hips still trying to give his crotch some friction. To gauge a reaction, he stuck his fingers further down into his throat. Chen choked and pulled Minseok’s hand back, only to return to it with kitty licks and small kisses. Minseok tapped his lips and they opened for his fingers once again.

‘You’re that eager to suck something yourself?’

Chen smiled innocently with Minseok’s fingers still inside his mouth. Minseok leaned close and whispered in his ear.

‘Or do you want me to use these fingers some other place?’

The blush that overtook Chen’s face said he hadn’t even thought about that.

‘I can do that for you, if you want, baby?’ Minseok trailed his free hand down from Chen’s back to his tight butt. ‘Right, there.’

Chen got a little jumpy from that. ‘It’s fine. Maybe next time. I am winking seductively right now. I’m telling you because you can’t see it through the blindfold.’

Minseok snorted and retracted his fingers. He seated himself on Chen and rubbed his clothed crotch against his client’s. Chen whined in reply, the seams of Minseok’s pants rubbing sore on his sensitive skin, which led Minseok to remove his shorts. He was wearing plain boxers, so it was even more convenient that he blindfolded Chen.

They both remained quiet as their hips did their work, Chen humping up to Minseok’s slow circulating movements. Minseok wondered if he should kiss him, but instead nibbed on his ear with an occasional soft moan accompanying it. His hands massaged his neck and head. Chen himself was quiet for the most part, only gasps and breaths of air revealing he was enjoying the ride. His hand nestled underneath Minseok’s thin shirt and traced his back.

Suddenly Chen firmed up his arms and snuggled Minseok against him, preventing him from moving. He shuddered underneath him and it made Minseok realize he had ejaculated. For a moment it was quiet, Chen recuperating from his orgasm and Minseok not really sure what to do now. He’d cum so suddenly that Minseok wouldn’t even need to think about all the other things he could have done to him.

‘Sorry,’ he said and released Minseok from his grip. He wore his smile still, with his bangs clinging together from the sweat he’d build up and his lips plump and moist. It was a tantalizing sight to see.

‘You might want to work on your endurance next time, I wasn’t finished with you yet.’ Minseok removed Chen’s blindfold and gave him a wink, before he gave the man some space to make himself decent again.

With a bit of disappointment, Minseok stuffed his hardened member back into his, now too tight, short shorts and grabbed his phone. Ending the whole deal was the most annoying thing. Sheets dirty, the smell of sex heavy in the air and a sweaty person on his bed. It would have been best if they left the second they finished (and paid). He never tried to think about why he really got such aching after the deed was done, something about it felt so domestic with a fake sense of closeness. Luckily, Chen got dressed in no time and even straightened the sheets. Minseok puts his phone away when Chen’s wallet appeared in his hands.

‘I… How much does it cost?’ Chen asked, slightly awkward about the transaction.

’60.’ It was overpriced, but since it seemed to be Chen’s first time he wouldn’t know the price sets anyway.

Chen nodded and quickly counted his bills, placing them into Minseok’s open palm. Minseok didn’t count before he put it away. He leaned into Chen and kissed him on the cheek. ‘Next time I’ll reward you for your money’s worth. Come back next week?’ While it was a common phrase he spouted every time he done his business with a client that didn’t make him vomit, Chen seemed to have eaten it up as he blushed with a shy smile.


	2. Chapter 2

It became a weekly occurrence that Chen would visit the brothel. With every visit he became a little more comfortable, his hands naughtier and his requests a little more perverted. Occasionally he was more subdued than other times, tired or something on his mind Minseok had always assumed. It mattered little, as he always left with a relaxed smile on his face. Minseok once asked about his profession, but he was vague about it. From what he could gather from all the stories, he was a simple desk worker. It must not be interesting enough to share it. Maybe he was afraid Minseok would categorize him as those unambitious, lifeless office zombies who only breathed work, and he had all to fear that. It would explain his visits to the brothel, someone with his social skills and looks would surely be able to score a nice partner. While he wasn’t eager to disclose his profession, he didn’t shy away from basically everything else. About his family; his 4-year-old cousin that he would not shut up about when they’re chatting, his old student life and even his weird group of friends of which Minseok is convinced one of them is another frequent visitor of the brothel. He remembered his colleague describing a guy almost identical to Chen’s description, but it also helped the man used the same name at the brothel.

‘I know something we can do, want to try?’ Chen excitedly asked when he had just walked in and grasped Minseok’s hand in delight, making Minseok flinch from the sudden energy in the room.

‘Sure?’

‘Give me a second.’ Chen rushed to the stereo sound system, one that Minseok had shown him in the past when they wanted a bit of music in the background. It took a while before Chen figured out how to get it to work. Minseok couldn’t suppress the giggle bubbling in his stomach from seeing him struggle, too amused to jump in and help the poor bloke.

Once it blasted some funky club tune, Chen started dancing. His steps were awkward, his arms flailing in a goofy manner. He looked ridiculous as he twirled and slowly danced towards Minseok.

‘Hey babe, I saw you from across the dance floor. Mind if I take you for a spin?’ He offered his hand gracefully. Minseok raised an eyebrow to him, but the man only winked and smiled. Thus Minseok accepted the hand and together they danced awkwardly in the empty room. The distance between their bodies slowly vaporized, each getting closer to the other with every beat pumped.

‘Of all the people in this club, you are by far the sexiest. I couldn’t get my eyes off you from the moment I saw you,’ Chen whispered in his ear.

Minseok scoffed, looking around the room to emphasize his ridiculousness.

Chen raised an eyebrow, accompanied with hooded eyes. ‘Am I that attractive to you, that you don’t even see the other people in the room anymore? I feel flattered.’

Minseok rolled his eyes and kissed him. Hard and passionately. It felt good. For just that moment, their little play felt real. Like he really was just in a club, dancing his troubles away with a stranger. He wondered what it would have been like to have met him in a club instead of a brothel. Highly unlikely, yes, because Minseok never went to clubs, but did Chen? Probably with those friends of his, dancing like idiots and requesting the most awful songs to piss off other visitors. That seemed plausible, there was no way in hell Chen had actual cool friends.

Chen upped their play by rambling random facts about himself. How he frequented the club, named Spade for its unique shaped dancer stage, how he was lured into the club because his best friend is a cage dancer there and that he is the proud owner of two dogs and a cat. Minseok didn’t know what to do with the information, but luckily Chen didn’t expect him to somehow gain something out of it.

‘Let’s take this somewhere else, shall we?’ Chen whispered in his ear after tedious minutes of grinding their crotches together to the beat of some generic hard music. Minseok nodded. He led Minseok into the bathroom, all the while pretending to tap people’s shoulders to make way or pulling Minseok towards himself to avoid him from bumping into the imaginary dancing mass of people.

Once dragged in the bathroom, Chen’s body still pressed against his, Minseok was placed on the water reservoir of the toilet.

‘These bathroom stalls are so small, it’s like they don’t want people to do something dirty here.’ Chen winked. He sat down on the closed lid of the toilet seat, right between Minseok’s legs. His gaze wandered over Minseok’s body. He felt powerful from the higher position he was in and it didn’t help when Chen stared at him with big eyes.

‘Can I?’ He asked, even though his hands were already working on removing Minseok’s lower garments. Minseok nodded. With a single breath he took Minseok’s length in. He hollowed his cheeks and sucked, accompanied with occasional kitten licks and obscene wet sounds. Even with a condom on, Chen’s hot cavern mouthing his dick felt heavenly. The pit is his stomach grew as Chen continued, until he had to pull him off before he would release already.

‘Get up,’ Minseok demanded. He met Chen’s gaze with confusion. ‘Switch places.’ To that Chen smiled. He cooperated right away. Seeing Chen through this angle was nice too. He had to bend his neck in a strain to look at Chen’s face, no wonder Chen had such big eyes when the position was opposite.

Minseok took his wrapped member inside his mouth and began sucking. He could feel Chen’s dick twitching in his mouth, but more over he could hear the heavy breathing of the other. Contently sighing and withholding moans, Chen slowly lost himself in the pleasure. Minseok wasn’t having that yet. After all, he wanted things to go his way. It also helped to reason that he charged more for actual sex than just a blowjob.

Minseok left Chen’s member wet and dripping with saliva. He prompted Chen back to focus by tapping his outer thigh. His eyes were hooded when he opened his eyes, a bit confused but eager to have more.

‘Come down, sit here,’ Minseok tapped on the covered toilet seat he had just sat. Without waiting for Chen to get into action, he hooked his arms underneath Chen’s upper legs and lifted him. Chen wobbled until he placed his elbows on Minseok’s shoulders. He’d figured Chen wouldn’t be able to move quickly enough with his pants still at his heels.

Once placed down, Minseok commanded him to lose the pants while he undone himself of his too. Chen hadn’t made an effort to remove Minseok’s shirt, but Minseok had tied Chen’s one up to show his toned stomach. He could see the muscles twitching with anticipation when Minseok hovered over Chen’s loins, grabbed Chen’s dick and aligned it with his hole. Chen gasped when Minseok lowered himself onto Chen.

It was quiet for a moment, Chen looking at his member pushed into Minseok with almost a disbelief.

‘You must have expected to get laid tonight, already prepared and ready.’ Chen joked after finding his tongue again.

Minseok smiled knowingly and started moving. Chen followed suit and both their bodies moved to the rhythm of the other. The music was still playing in the background, but the slick sounds of wetness and bodies clashing against each other sounded so much louder. Minseok lost his footing on the small surface of the toilet, making him sink deeper onto Chen’s dick. Chen replied with hard, deep thrusts upwards. He hit just the right spot and Minseok began to see stars, his prostrate getting tapped with each thrust. It was messy and hard, but it was exhilarating as well. His toes curled as he hit his climax. Chen’s came a moment later, his body suddenly stilling and his face crunched up. 

After they both came, Chen carried Minseok to the bed and dropped the both of them on it. Minseok felt his eyes on him. When he glanced back, the man quickly looked away.

‘Did you like that?’ He asked.

Minseok croaked a yes. He liked it more than he would admit.


	3. Chapter 3

Now that they had tried roleplay, Chen was eager to incorporate it into one or more sessions while he was visiting. Another day he visited, he asked to play again. This time he told Minseok he should pick this time.

‘Fine, I’m prince Woo, and you’re my servant.’ Minseok smirked, implying enough with their difference in roles.

Chen smiled and commended him for his choice. He loved the role play acts a lot. He got way too excited about his character and would tell little stories that were of little relevance, but it was cute. This time his character was a servant that found its way into the castle after rebelliously running away from his family in the bordering country, the one the Woo empire was at war with. So far that made sense. Then he continued how he had to leave his collection of miniature horses behind, which he bred for the war. ‘But imagine all the tiny hoofprints left behind after the city has been pillaged. People will know and fear my mighty tiny army!’ He argued when Minseok asked how they’d strike fear into the hearts of the enemies. Once they had the silly stories out of the way, the tone switched easily back to what both men were there for.

‘How can I serve you today, milord?’ Chen asked with a snooty accent.

‘Oh, I think you know how you can serve me.’ Minseok raised an eyebrow and was awarded with a grin from Chen.

Minseok decided that is what he liked about Chen. Openminded, honest, obedient and up to anything. The kind of client you’d want every night.

Minseok just finished another client and retreated to the bed to recharge. He always had his laptop stashed underneath the bed, occasionally necessary to show some xxx to clients if the body didn’t cooperate with the brain. He lazily scrolled through his social media feed to fill the time. The curtains were still closed, but someone came knocking on his door regardless. He sighed and whined a quiet ‘come in’, only to reveal Chen standing at the door. Minseok gave him a glare and wondered what he was doing here, on a Thursday morning.

‘Uh, hey,’ he started off, ‘it’s pouring outside and this was the closest place I could find shelter. Can I…?’ He asked, still standing at the door.

Minseok whisked him inside and went to get a towel for his wet client. When he returned from the bathroom, Chen was sitting on the bed.

‘I’m sorry, I must be disturbing you, don’t I?’

‘It’s okay, but I don’t have energy right now. Give me ten minutes, alright?’ He wrapped the towel around Chen’s hair and slowly massaged it dry, using the tips to also pat down Chen’s face. They were both quiet, but Minseok knew from the curled lips on Chen’s face and the soft sighs that he was content.

Minseok returned to his laptop after and closed the tabs of his social media. For a moment he feared Chen might have seen his real name on the corner of his open Facebook account, but a glance towards the man showed he had barely even registered the laptop. Instead, he started a video game.

Chen mimicked his position next to him, flat on his stomach with his feet in the air. His arm was thrown lazily over Minseok’s back. First he watched quietly, then he started an endless parade of questions about the game and how it worked.

Before they knew it, an hour had passed and they were still happily playing, until the quest finally ended and Minseok came to realize that he was here for work after all. He closed the laptop and looked at Chen, who looked at him a little confused.

‘So, what do you want me to do today?’ Minseok asked.

Chen looked up at him thoughtfully. ‘Nothing, really. I’m all good. I think I should head out soon, I believe the rain isn’t as bad at the moment.’

‘Alright,’ Minseok replied hesitantly. The thought that Chen really just came over to seek shelter confused him. It would explain why he had not requested Minseok’s attention earlier. Where was he going anyway, would he live nearby? They both rose from the bed and Minseok walked him out to the door, his questions left unanswered.

‘How much do you want for this?’ His client gestured between the two, as if something more happened.

‘What?’

‘How much did this cost, what’s your hourly price?’

‘I… I don’t know, we didn’t even do anything? I can’t charge you for sitting next to me…’ Minseok answered baffled.

Chen smiled and placed a crumbled up note in Minseok’s pocket. ‘Thank you for having me. Let’s do this again sometimes.’ He was already half way out of the door when Minseok stopped him, quickly handing him an umbrella.

‘Don’t get sick now,’ he added. Chen nodded and waved goodbye.

Minseok couldn’t shake the thought of Chen out of his mind for the rest of the day.

Chen happily bounced into the room on a Tuesday afternoon. Minseok had just started nibbling on the crisps he opened not a moment ago, so he was reluctant to put it away. Chen joined him where he sat on the floor, quirking his head and giving a small push to Minseok.

‘Why are you sitting on the floor, eating crisps on your own?’ He cutely asked.

Minseok pointed at the bed. ‘It’s still dirty. This last customer I had was sweaty as hell, the sheets stuck to his skin like he just rolled around in glue.’ It was strange how honest Minseok was around Chen. He always minded his privacy, and his supposed professionalism, that kept him from blabber mouthing about everything on his mind. That, or he just never really warmed up to people enough to entrust them with his thoughts. They could be used against him or joked about. He hated those types of jokes. Then again, many did not see him as a humourous guy, so it came to reason that not many even tried to joke around him.

Chen’s face crunched up. ‘Too much information. Have you showered yet?’

Minseok shook his head. ‘I cleaned myself with a cloth, but I was craving food. So you can have me either dirty and hungry, or clean and content if you wait a while. Your choice.’ He added a smirk to make it a playful act, but he was really hellbent on eating the crisps.

‘You drive a hard bargain. Can I at least get some crisps as well then?’ Chen pouted, holding his hand up.

Minseok snorted. ‘Say ahh.’ he held out a crisp in front of Chen’s face. The latter opened his mouth and let Minseok place it on his tongue. The act looked dirtier than it should have been, Minseok noted with a curse.

‘You did wash your hands, did you?’ Chen belatedly asked as he was chewing the crisp.

‘Nah, it’s salty by taste anyway.’

Jongdae pulled a disgusted face. ‘You’re nasty.’

‘I already told you that!’

Despite the joke, Chen still caved in when Minseok offered him more crisps. Before they knew it, they had already devoured the bag entirely. With his belly content, Minseok turned to Chen.

‘So, how do you wish to be pleased, Mr. Chen?’

‘I’m feeling a bit feisty, but I really want you to fuck me tonight.’

Minseok o-mouthed before turning it into a grin. ‘I’m ready for dessert.’

Chen laughed, either in awkwardness or goodwill, and punched his arm to negate the dirty comment.

‘What makes you so eager this time?’ Minseok asked. It wasn’t typical for his clients to switch positions, most had a preferred one and they stuck by it. Sadly enough for Minseok he had more clients wanting to put it in instead of taking it, since he had the first as his preference as well.

‘I actually almost exclusively bottomed with my previous partner. I think that’s what I like best too. Besides, you take good care of me. I trust you.’ He winked. At least, attempted to. It was more like a twitchy blink, definitely not sexy.

Minseok stared at him. So he just got entrusted with Chen’s body, like it was no big deal. ‘You’re such a temptation, you know that? So intriguing, I really don’t get why you’re going to a prostitute, when you can probably get anyone you want with your looks and charms.’ Minseok let his words sit in the air while he thought about Chen’s words. ‘I’m going to take a shower. Can you wait 5 minutes?’

Chen shook from his position on the bed when Minseok came out of the bathroom, only a towel around his waist and still dripping wet.

‘I just thought, maybe you want to join? I’m running the bath now, we can fit in there together...’ Minseok smiled sheepishly. He had quickly cleaned himself before hopping out of the shower.

Chen’s eyes bulged, but he was quick on his feet to follow Minseok.

The bathtub was already half full, so Minseok didn’t hesitate to get in right away. He leaned forward and placed his head on his folded arms on the edge of the tub. Chen noticed his intentional gaze.

‘What?’

Minseok let his gaze wander down the Chen’s stature.

‘What, you want me to strip for you now?’

Minseok raised an eyebrow. ‘Are you offering?’

Chen pouted and raised his hands to cover himself, muttering pervert under his breath. Minseok laughed and covered his eyes.

‘Fine fine, I’ll give you 10 seconds to undress and get in the tub without looking. 1, 2...’ He heard rustling as he counted and before he reached 9, another body joined the waters. ‘Aw, you didn’t even give me a little tease.’

Chen ignored the comment and kissed Minseok briefly, before struggling in the tight space to lie down in the bath and dragging Minseok upon him. He smothered Minseok with a deep kiss and an arm locking him between the warmth of the water and his body. Minseok had turned the faucet off, the bath still only half filled.

‘You know, this idea seemed better in my head. It’s quite a tight fit.’

‘I thought that’s how you liked it?’

It took Minseok a few moments to understand what was implied, then gave him a playful slap on the wrist. 

Minseok took his sweet time preparing his client. The last time, Chen had come just from having Minseok’s fingers inside him. Minseok savoured the thought of being inside him for another time. Chen sighed and moaned each time Minseok hit the right spot.

‘Just get inside already,’ Chen whined impatiently.

‘With pleasure,’ Minseok replied. He lifted Chen’s lower body up, placing his hips underneath to ensure water wouldn’t end up in the wrong places. Chen raised his legs and hooked them on Minseok’s shoulders.

‘Ahh shit, I forgot the condom.’ Minseok realized and sighed. He was about to get up when Chen tapped his shoulder and pointed behind him. The man had placed one on the edge of the bathtub. Clever, he must have done so when he undressed without Minseok’s prying eyes. Minseok shot him a comprehensible look and Chen smirked in return, his eyebrow quirking up.

He quickly grabbed it and put it on, installing himself in front of the other man again.

‘Are you comfortable?’ He asked.

‘As comfortable as a bathtub can be,’ Chen replied sarcastically. His impatience was palpable.

The push through his rim was a tight, slow drag until he was fully inside him. Chen bit his lip, holding back a gasp from the stretch. Not wanting to test Chen’s patience any longer, Minseok worked up a rhythm. He’d slowly started to appreciate the slow pace Chen usually upheld. The feelings were more intense, even through the rubber he could feel the hot walls around his member and the friction at the rim. Deep thrusts did the most to Chen too, his moans getting louder with each hip movement. He’d occasionally curse and grind against Minseok, making them clash and hit him deeper inside. The water splashed and Chen got soaked, appearing even more hot while he was chasing his release. Minseok was beginning to tire and his knees hurt from the harsh enamelled steel, but he felt the shuddering of muscles of Chen’s lower abdomen and it invigorated him to continue. His hand finished the job when Chen blew his load a minute later, completely spent. The contraction of his rim and the elongated sigh he let out pushed Minseok into his own orgasm. His vision whitened for a moment. When it came back, Chen was observing him, his chest still heaving.

‘Was that okay?’ Minseok asked when he couldn’t read Chen’s expression on his face. He nodded in response.

They cleaned themselves up, which was easy since they were already in a bathtub, when Chen interfered. ‘Did you wash your hair?’ He asked out of the blue.

Minseok shook his head. ‘Why, does it look dirty?’

‘Can I shampoo it?’

‘Sure?’ Minseok answered, slightly confused as to why he would want to do that.

Chen smiled and told Minseok to turn around. His fingers were coated with shampoo as he massaged his scalp. ‘I used to have a lot of baths with my, now ex-, boyfriend. I loved shampooing his hair, so it is nice to do this again.’ His voice was light and soothing when he babbled on while rubbing the lotion into the follicles. He affirmed his caring nature as he reminisced his old habits with his ex, telling all the small things they did for the other. When the shampoo had settled in, he grabbed the shower head and washed the soap out.

‘Can you tell me honestly, why are you regularly visiting a prostitute?’ Minseok asked. ‘You’re kind, charismatic, so full of… Love.’ Minseok pulled a face at the last word. ‘It just doesn’t make sense.’

Chen remained quiet, to the point that Minseok was about to drop the topic, when he answered. ‘I don’t like one night stands, but I don’t like commitment either. It’s a weird feeling, but I think I enjoy the concept of having somebody to hold and claim as my own, but without actual responsibility over them.’

‘So you come here because you like to feel like you claimed me?’

‘When you call it like that, it sounds pretty wrong, doesn’t it? What I meant is that for the hours I pay you, I can fulfil my needs and all the pretence romance I could ask for. Once I walk out of here, none of the clingy relationship stuff applies.’

‘You must have had a heck of a relationship for you to say those things, even though you speak so fondly of it…’ Minseok replied, rummaging over the information he just received.

Chen chuckled. ‘It wasn’t that bad, I still wouldn’t mind dating that guy. But right now, I am enjoying this a lot. It helps that you are so… You. I feel very comfortable with you.’

Minseok blushed from the sudden compliment and wanted to slap himself for the fluttering feeling that emerged from it. Chen sure had a way with words.

With wrinkled fingers and softened skin to match, they called it a day.


	4. Chapter 4

‘Again with the videogames?’ Chen asked when he barged into the room around 9 pm. ‘Not even trying to get customers are you, leaving the curtains open to see them on your laptop?’

‘Lay off my back, Tuesdays are always slow. Only weirdos visit me on these days,’ Minseok added in reference to Chen’s visits that almost always took place during the quiet weekdays like Tuesday and Thursday.

Chen pouted. ‘I am not a weirdo.’ He dropped himself on the bed, sprawled out like he owned it. Minseok closed the laptop and walked over to the window to close the curtains. He returned with his full attention on Chen, crawling over his body until his face met his.

Chen mimicked Minseok’s sly smile and pulled him close for a kiss. It tasted of something else, besides the light minty flavour, it was more intense than he’d usually start out with. Most of his clients were strictly business, preferring not to kiss. Something about intimacy, or about feeling the adultery committed worsening from a kiss more than the actual fucking. This man was different. He wholeheartedly kissed. Needy, sometimes sloppy, sometimes slow, but always passionate. It did things to Minseok he tried to register as sexual attraction and nothing more.

Chen pulled away and thumbed Minseok’s cheek. ‘You look tired. Are you alright?’ He whispered. They were so close, any louder would have been unnecessary.

Minseok sighed and dropped himself next to Chen, whom immediately laid on his side to look at him. He placed his hands under his head and stared back. Minseok didn’t want their kiss to end like this, but he was feeling down and having someone so sincerely ask if he’s alright made him want to spill all the beans. Which was a rare occurrence, both people asking about him personally and him opening up emotionally to them. Things were easier if everything remained as superficial as possible, but it was difficult to always uphold that when he had few friends to turn to.

‘I had a difficult customer today. I also have some things on my mind that I find hard to shake off.’

Chen’s hand found his and he squeezed, prompting Minseok to continue.

‘I’m alright with what I’m doing, but I don’t want to do this all my life. I’m good at prostituting, I earn enough money to support myself and save up a bit. It just becomes stale and not something for the long term. Sometimes my back really hurts and I feel sore all over my body all the time.  
‘On the other hand, I don’t know what else I can do. I have no education worth mentioning, no family or connection to get me in some higher place and I don’t even have hobbies.’ Minseok sighed. He kept in all those thoughts for so long, it felt good elaborating them with someone.

‘Everything comes with time. You will find a new goal and new ways to achieve it, just take your time finding what it is that you want and slowly build on that. You don’t need to decide things right away, it’ll come to you when the time is right.’ Chen genuinely believed his own words and it awoke a spark of hope in Minseok.

‘Thank you,’ he inaudibly replied. The words made him consider his choices again. Maybe tonight when he gets home he should research some possibilities. Chen rubbed his thumb on Minseok’s palm in response. Perhaps he heard after all.

‘I’m sorry. I am boring you, aren’t I?’ Minseok spoke up and patted Chen’s soft hair, after they’d laid in silence with their hands still intertwined. ‘Where can I help you with tonight, mister Chen?’ He asked in a lowered pitch, hoping to steer away from the heavy stuff and bring them back to what they were here for.

Chen smiled and bumped his head softly against Minseok’s. ‘It’s alright, I enjoy hearing you talk. If you ever want to just talk, tell me, okay? As for tonight, I think we’re both too tired for something harder. How about I cheer you up? May I please you, instead?’

Minseok raised an eyebrow in interest.

‘Just lay down and enjoy, alright?’ Chen pushed him flat on the bed and laid on him. His lips touched the temple of his head, giving sweet kisses. He slowly trailed down to his cheek, his jaw, his neck. His lips were chapped and it scraped against his skin in a tingly sensation. Perhaps he had a nervous habit in which he bit them, because the weather was not cold enough to break lips like that. It wasn’t an unpleasant feeling. He then moved on to suck on Minseok’s Adam’s apple while his hands trailed underneath Minseok’s oversized shirt. They found his nipples and he caressed it softy. He twitched for a moment and his fingers changed course again, smoothing over his chest. Maybe he had remembered Minseok said his body was sore all the time. Minseok mentally slapped himself for being so blunt, that was not how he intended that to turn out.

‘My body is not that sore all the time, touch wherever you please.’ He’d braved himself to speak out, not wanting to cause another serious moment.

Chen smiled and nodded. Minseok’s shirt was removed a moment later, announced by Chen to be too unrevealing. He kissed his collar bones, tracing old bruises and hickeys with pecks, then moved to lick one of his nipples.

Chen took it extremely slow, his hands touching every crevice of Minseok’s body and kisses placed wherever he could reach. It felt almost like Minseok fell in a trance, the feeling between drowsiness and the thrilling sensation of body devotion. He hadn’t even noticed Chen had removed the rest of his clothing, the sense of nakedness was gone with Chen still covering himself over him. It wasn’t till Chen’s lips kissed the tip of his apparently hardened member that he shook out of it.

‘Wait, don’t do that!’ He slapped Chen’s face away.

Chen immediately retreated and faced Minseok. ‘What is wrong, Xiumin? Did I do something bad?’ His voice sounded shocked and his eyes were large.

‘Yes, you did. Can’t you see?’

Chen looked at him with a blank face. ‘I can’t suck your dick?’ He asked bluntly.

‘No. I mean yes, you can.’

Chen raised an eyebrow. ‘Do I need to say the magic word to get permission, or what?’

Minseok hit his shoulder. ‘You’re forgetting something.’ He opened the drawer next to the bed and grabbed a condom from it, flinging it to Chen.

Chen let out an exasperated ‘ooh’ and nodded with understanding. ‘How could I forget!’

Minseok glared at him.

‘You’re smart.’

‘You learn from mistakes…’ Minseok replied, unbeknownst to himself.

‘Have you ever got an STD?’

‘Yes, one. I was foolish, didn’t think oral could give you anything. Nor did my clients tell me about it, for… Reasons.’

To Minseok’s surprise, Chen didn’t back away from him. Instead, he patted his leg and continued to roll the condom out on Minseok’s member. ‘So are you clean now?’

Minseok nodded. ‘As am I,’ Chen added with a smile. Another surprise hit Minseok when he realized his boner didn’t die from the sudden topic shift. Chen noticed it as well, but gave it a few tugs regardless. He chuckled when Minseok let out a moan in response.

And he moaned again when Chen went down on him. His tongue trailed his most sensitive parts, his fingers caressing his thighs. His head lolled back on the pillow when Chen started hollowing his cheeks and sucking.

‘You’re good at this,’ he said between pleasure riddled sighs. He felt Chen smile against his dick before he let it go with a pop. He hadn’t noticed his skill the first time Chen sucked him off, maybe too caught up in the moment to think about it.

‘Lots of practice, baby,’ he winked and continued. It caught Minseok off guard and left him staring at the other man. He mostly had his eyes shut, but occasionally shot a few glances at Minseok. Catching his stare, he kept his eyes focused on Minseok as he lewdly sucked on his cock and adding saliva slick noises to top it off.

He fought against his orgasm, they never came this early for him. He didn’t want to end this sight just yet. Chen sucked harder. His hand was now on his balls, massaging them. Minseok instinctively grabbed Chen’s hair and tugged it.

It became too much too fast and Minseok shot his load before he could think twice, closing his eyes and feeling his muscles loosening all at once. His body twitched from the aftermath. He hadn’t noticed his hand was still gripping Chen’s hair roughly, making it impossible for him to move away, until he finally came down from his high. He quickly removed his hand and relaxed against the mattress.

Chen removed the condom and cleaned up, then laid next to him, his arms curled around Minseok’s body as he pulled him close against his chest. Minseok relaxed against him and fell into slumber.

He awoke ten minutes later when Chen shook him. Chen had covered him underneath a blanket, which seemed like quite a feat since Minseok was still curled up against him. Minseok looked up and saw Chen smiling at him.

‘Did you like that?’ He asked. His voice was low and he was so close his breath hinged in his face. It had a faint chemical strawberry smell.

Minseok nodded against his chest.

They laid there for a little longer as Minseok became more awake.

‘So, where did you learn how to suck so well?’ He asked. He wasn’t sure if he was allowed to ask, but considering he brought it up he felt safe to ask regardless.

‘My ex. We dated for two years, so plenty of time to learn the trade, eh?’

‘Why did you break up?’ It left his mouth before he could contain himself.

‘We had some disagreements. He said he didn’t feel special, or loved. I loved him, but maybe not in ways he desired.’

‘You saw him more as a brother?’

‘Not entirely. The sex was nice, I just… I didn’t feel madly in love with him, or anyone for that matter. He said I gave others too much attention, that I gave people the wrong impression of me. He blamed me for a lot actually. I just can’t devote myself to someone else entirely like a love blinded fool, that’s now how I work.’

Minseok laid there thinking about the words. ‘So you’ve never been in love?’

‘I don’t know the difference between friendship and love. For me, there is no strong defining line. He was the one that confessed to me and I agreed, hoping those lovey-dovey feelings would show up one day. It didn’t, but now I know it’ll never do.’

‘That sounds, sad…’

‘I don’t mind. If I’m going to commit to another relationship, I hope that person can understand my feelings.’ Chen didn’t look sad, he looked rather relieved to talk about it. Tonight had brought them closer together. The knowledge that Chen opened up to him about this filled Minseok with repletion.

‘Anyhow, that is not why I woke you up. I have to go, I promised a friend to come over later tonight.’ Chen released Minseok from his arms and wiggled himself out of bed. He made sure to gather the blanket and lay it over Minseok protectively. ‘No need to get out of bed, I’ll let myself out.’ He said with a wink.

All Minseok could do was stare dumbly as his client walked out of the door. His side suddenly felt cold and the room was too quiet. When he willed himself out of bed to call it a day, he noticed a wad of bills on the night stand.


	5. Chapter 5

The weather was bright when Minseok went out for groceries in the afternoon. He had planned to go to the bakery and treat himself on some bread after he bought his necessities. He was on his way back with a sweet bun in hand when he encountered a familiar face in the distance. It was Chen, walking hand in hand with another man. Tall and lanky, a goofy smile plastered on his face as he looked at the smaller man. They were heading in the same direction Minseok came from. With no way to dodge interaction, he pretended to be focused on eating his bun. To no avail, as Chen already spotted him and waved.

‘Xiumin!’ He yelled out. Minseok cringed at the name. He never wanted to hear it outside his work room.

‘Hey,’ Minseok answered sheepishly. The taller man looked at him with some confusion, Minseok ought to think it was because of his foreign sounding name. He acknowledged the taller man.

‘Hi, nice to meet you. Are you his boyfriend?’

The man sputtered in a fit of awkward laughs and choking sounds.

‘We’re on a date,’ Chen replied in his stead. He gave another grossly sweet smile at the other man.

‘That’s nice. I guess I won’t be seeing you soon, then?’ It was by far the most common reason how Minseok lost customers. It never bothered him on an emotional level, but with Chen it stung a little.

‘Don’t be silly, Minnie. I will see you later this week,’ Chen replied, laughing as if Minseok had made the weirdest assumption ever.

Minseok cocked his head at that, but didn’t comment on it. He quickly said his goodbye and slipped away from the couple.

‘Where do you know him from?’ Minseok could overhear the tall man asking. He couldn’t hear Chen’s answer, but he hoped Chen would recycle one if his roleplay stories for that tale, rather than telling the truth.

‘So, you actually show up again,’ Minseok spoke to Chen when he found the man waiting for him as he returned from his lunchbreak another day. The receptionist had told him there was a client waiting in his room for him.

Chen smiled. ‘Of course, I don’t want to miss you.’

‘Cute, but you’re not getting a discount,’ Minseok smirked but he felt his cheek warm slightly. He hurried to the bathroom to brush his teeth. Chen followed and stood at the doorway, watching him with mild enthusiasm.

‘Do you mind?’ Minseok mumbled with his mouth foaming.

Chen shook his head and came closer. He stilled Minseok’s occupying hand and gently pulled the toothbrush out of his mouth. ‘Aren’t you going to ask?’ Chen cocked his head.

Minseok spat the foam in the sink and wiped his mouth. ‘Ask what?’ He hissed.

‘I don’t know, maybe about our first meeting outside these walls?’ Chen ignored the venom in Minseok’s question.

Minseok couldn’t bear to stare at Chen’s questioning eyes and took his gaze to the ground. ‘It is none of my business, there is nothing to ask.’ He replied formally, even though he was curious about the full story.

Chen sighed and shook his head. ‘You looked so disappointed…’ he dragged his words and let the sentence hang heavy in the room.

Minseok swallowed as his mind lingered on that day. Had he really looked disappointed? He shook it off and put on his cocky charade. ‘You are seeing things, dear,’ putting emphasis on the last word, ‘anyway, are you here to spend money or have you come just to frustrate me? You’re doing a great job at the latter.’

‘Maybe both,’ Chen replied. He palmed Minseok’s cheek, glaring at him with unreadable eyes that looked either sad or searching. Minseok squirmed in the tight situation he found himself in, unable to ease under those eyes and what might be going on behind them. In rush of panic, he pushed Chen hard against the bathroom door which caused a sound much louder than either had been expecting. He was about to apologize profusely for his sudden act, but Chen’s gaze darkened and looked up through his brow. It did not go unnoticed and suddenly it hit Minseok, he was riling him up to get punished. It is what he wanted. It was a little confusing, because he had always acted so gentle. Maybe he was learning new tricks from his date.

Minseok closed in on him and took a handful of Chen’s hair, pulling his head backwards until it hit the door as he kissed him hard. The latter eagerly returned the kiss, his hands feverishly finding a grip on Minseok’s body to prevent him from crushing him between the wall and his body. The moments they took a breather, Minseok filled the silence with filthy whispers as they simultaneously rubbed their clothed crotches together. Chen got hard in a mere instance, which confirmed Minseok’s suspicions that he is rather submissive and enjoyed someone to take the lead on him. It did make more sense as over time he’d let Minseok top more and more.

The next time Chen pulled away for breath, Minseok spoke in a loud and clear voice.

‘Get on your knees and suck me.’ It had Chen dropping to his knees and fumbling with the buttons on Minseok’s pants. Chen even had the decency to bring his own condom with him, rolling it expertly over Minseok’s dick before his mouth followed. He trailed the thick vein on his member, making a weird face from what Minseok assumed was the taste of the rubber, before he enveloped his dick whole and started sucking.

His hips ached to buck into the feeling, eager to feel more. Chen hollowed his cheeks and opened his throat, creating friction that had Minseok moaning loudly. He felt Chen’s mouth form a smile around his length and it filled him with a bigger sense of need. His hand dug through his soft locks and despite the big urge to tug, he brushed through it twice before ending up rubbing his fingers behind his ear in a way that felt too endearing for the scene they were playing out.

‘Did your other boyfriend give dick like this?’

Chen shook his head, losing himself in the rhythm of Minseok’s hips pushing in his face and the slack jaw he must surely be developing by now, accompanied with the lewd comments Minseok made on his sucking abilities. His saliva was dripping from Minseok’s member onto the floor. The sight enticed Minseok. He was not often the one being in this position, certainly not with the other losing his mind over his dick. It gave him a sense of power and pride, something he never understood when he was on the giving end of the stick. His orgasm crept closer and not wanting to end the fun just yet, he pulled Chen off him.

The younger wasn’t quite back yet, still looking dishevelled and spaced out. Minseok knelt down and licked up the drool on Chen’s chin. It was not something he usually do, often too disgusted by another person’s liquid to even wipe it off with some paper, but this time he didn’t think twice. It had a slight hint of strawberry flavour to it.

‘How was that?’ Minseok asked to spur a reaction from the man.

Chen’s glazed eyes slowly focused on the man in front of him. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed and only then did Minseok realize what had happened.

‘Wait, did you just cum?’ He asked in disbelief. He pushed Chen’s hand away from his nether region, still clothed but damp to the touch.

Chen blushed and hid his face behind his hand. It made Minseok laugh.

‘I can’t believe you came untouched, you like dirty talk that much?’ In fascination he grabbed Chen’s jaw and forced him to look at him, taking in the red tint on his cheeks and his long eyelashes batting as he continued to look away.

‘It’s been a long week. I haven’t touched myself since we last met.’

‘Why?’

‘I don’t know, I never do when I am dating someone. It doesn’t feel right, does that make sense?’

Minseok felt something twirl in his stomach, whether it was something positive or negative he did not know. ‘Not really…’

Chen sighed. ‘Maybe I am just weird, then.’ He forced himself to smile, turning it into a half smile that looked neither convincing nor affirming. Chen smiled a lot and by now Minseok was able to decipher most of them. This one told him that it was something that worried him, but he didn’t want to burden his thoughts onto someone. He wore the smile more often, but Minseok never had the courage to tell him to just let it all out.

‘Maybe you are, yeah. That would explain your sudden change of attitude. Is that boy making you like it rough now?’ He asked with a tease.

Chen shook his head. ‘Nah, I only had that one date with him. He made me realize something though.’

‘And that is?’

‘I enjoy being myself with you more than trying to uphold the image a date might create of me. Also, celibacy makes me more messed up than I thought was possible.’ The last part he added with a chuckle.

‘You really are not eager for commitment, are you?’

‘Nope!’

Minseok didn’t press the matter any further, but there was another matter that was quite pressing for him. With his hand still rested on Chen’s groin, he quirked an eyebrow.

‘What?’

‘You thought you’d be off the hook now that you came? I didn’t pull out just to be left dry,’ he replied with a cheeky smile that left Chen’s mouth ajar. He composed himself fast enough and swatted Minseok’s hand away.

‘At least do me on the bed.’

‘With pleasure.’


	6. Chapter 6

Minseok closed the door after his previous client left and sank onto the bed with a sigh. It was only 9 pm, but his energy was completely drained. One of his regulars always, without fail, succeeded to make him call it a day after his departure. A delight to the eyes but tiresome in his requests. Sure, he was a pretty boy and knew how to hit the spots just right, but it meant he missed out on some easy money. Certainly on Friday eve, plenty of horny party animals or drunks would be looking for a quick release. Sometimes a blowjob or even a quick hand job would suffice.

The man had just left with a kind smile, looking way too satisfied with Minseok’s ragged breath and mushy hair. He decided then he’d feel best if he headed home. All he needed to do was clean up for the next day; clean the bathroom, change the sheets and count his money.

He was halfway done when the receptionist called.

‘I got that cute regular of yours at my desk, but he says you closed your curtains. Nobody is with you now, so can I send him in?’ One of the good things about being in a ‘higher end’ brothel is having the clients go through the reception. It was a secure measurement for stalkers and abusive clients, but it also served as a great way to avoid having to decline a client personally.

‘Which one? You call every client cute…’ Minseok sighed.

‘The shorty with the stolen cat’s smile.’ That could only be one person. Minseok already pictured the curled lips of the man. His mind was already set on declining, but he remembered he’d turned down Chen once before and the receptionist had not taken it lightly.

_‘He pouted, Xiu, he actually pouted!’ She exclaimed when Minseok had ordered her to send Chen away. ‘He’s pretty cute though, why do you always get the cute ones? Next time, I’m sending him in regardless.’ She had teased, fueling Minseok’s regret for rejecting easy money. Chen would have been lenient with him; he was sure of it. Yet, it didn’t feel right to accept just for the money. He wouldn’t be able to satisfy him and that could have cost him in future visits._

Minseok caved in and told her to send him in. The man greeted him with an insecure ‘hello’, as he stood clutching the doorframe without daring to enter without permission. He let him stand there for a moment as he finished his phone call with the receptionist. She cheekily told him to have fun and Minseok already had a curse lying on his tongue before he decided to be the bigger man and swallow it. People easily got under his skin, even more when he was tired.

‘Am I coming at an inconvenient time? The receptionist was acting a bit weird.’

Minseok shook his head and invited the younger man inside. ‘She’s always weird, don’t mind her.’

As if commanded, Chen walked over to the bed and started helping Minseok make the bed. They worked in silence for a while before he spoke up.

‘You are tired.’

‘I am.’

‘Care to talk about it?’

‘No.’ Chen didn’t comment on it and remained silent. ‘It’s nothing, just a client who almost literally sucks all the life out of me.’ He confessed. ‘I’m thinking about raising the prices for him.’ The indecent joke made his client chuckle.

‘Maybe you should, he’s stealing my time away!’ The man in return joked.

‘You haven’t been seeing anyone else anymore, since that last guy? You should be able to satisfy your urges without having to pay for it.’

‘There was another guy, but that ended rather quickly too. He was going too fast for me.’

‘Too fast?’

‘I met his sister at the end of our third date and he already invited me to his family’s birthday party…’

‘Ah, I dislike that as well,’ Minseok replied as politically correct as he could. He hadn’t had much experience with relationships, so he was unsure why meeting someone’s family was considered going too fast.

Chen changed the subject into something more light-hearted, chatting away the minutes till they were finished. Chen knew surprisingly well how to clean, which was an exceptional revelation to Minseok as the neatfreak within him always screams at him when things are not done accordingly.

‘Since we already cleaned, I cannot let you defile the room. Instead, I can give you a blowjob if you want? Half the price since you helped me clean.’ Minseok offered when they admired their dandy cleaning job.

‘Defile? I am offended,’ Chen replied with a smile on his face. ‘Then, do I also have to stand or can I at least defile a chair?’

Minseok hummed and looked around the room. ‘Perhaps I could arrange that.’ He pulled up a chair and seated Chen on it, dropping to his knees in between his client’s legs.

‘Are you this mean to all your customers?’ Chen puffed his cheeks, all the while lifting his hips off the chair for Minseok to take his pants off. Why did he always get the cute ones? Minseok thought indeed.

‘Only those who can handle it,’ Minseok winked.

A few strokes further had awoken Chen’s arousal. Minseok teased him with hot breaths and pretending to take his member in his mouth, which made Chen simulate the movement as if it’d make Minseok actually do it. Minseok laughed and Chen gave him a small pat on his cheek.

Whining, he said, ‘you’re even worse when you’re sleepy, now I get why you’re giving me a discount.’

At that, Minseok finally took his dick in his mouth. Chen’s whining seized and slowly but surely developed into more sexual whines of contentment. His thoughts wandered as he let his mouth do its work, already as common to him as brushing his teeth. Most of his clients loved his invulnerable attitude and he would agree it was the main reason how he garnered his regulars. Those who didn’t agree already dropped off before he could really test their patience, or they were never looking for a weekly thing anyway. He wondered to what extend did Chen like him for his personality and how much of his likes were based on looks? His eyes always feasted on Minseok’s body, but he would also share soft smiles and glances. It was confusing and Minseok disliked his incapability to understand the man.

Afterwards, Chen stuck around as he closed his room and ended his shift. Chen looked around and stuck close to Minseok as he fidgeted with his keys and bag. It was odd behaviour, like he felt uncomfortable or wary.

‘Want to come home with me?’ Minseok blurted out without thinking, the image of Chen feeling uncomfortable made him feel weird. His cheeks burned as he instantly regretted the way he asked. He truly got way too invested in his client.

Chen attention snapped back to him and he looked beyond baffled.

‘I mean, not for any ‘extra service’, he added quotation marks for emphasis, his bag swung against his face as he did so, ‘I just don’t feel well.’ He was an idiot and he made himself look like an even bigger one too.

Chen nodded, but his gaze was still hazy from the thoughts he had sunken into.

Minseok panicked and hurriedly added, ‘Just forget it. I’m talking nonsense.’

‘No, no!’ Chen almost yelled. ‘I’ll come with you.’ Chen attached himself to Minseok. ‘Let me see you off in your street block, I should not know your home address.’ He added for reassurance.

While Minseok always took the subway home, this time he much rather enjoyed the fresh air. The wind was slightly chilling, but it revitalized his lost energy. Or so his own argument went with Chen’s body pressed against Minseok’s and an arm curled around his shoulders. Chen lost the tense in his shoulder as they walked, the shock of being invited so suddenly wore off and he happily chit chatted soon enough. 

‘We’re here.’

‘Wait, I told you I’d send you off in your street block. You know it’s dangerous to invite strangers to your home!’

Minseok raised an eyebrow. ‘We’ve been banging for three months now, how are you still a stranger?’

‘Well for example, you don’t even know my real name! Neither do I know yours. But that’s not the point, the point is that anything could happen… Don’t tell me you do this more often.’ Chen flung his hands around in a dramatic fashion. His eyebrows were almost perfectly diagonal on his face, riddled with concern.

Minseok sighed and opened the door while Chen preached on about how dangerous it could be. ‘Maybe it’s because I trust you. And my name is Minseok, don’t wear it out. Now get inside or else I’m retracting my offer.’

Chen offered him his hand and Minseok glanced at it before he took it. ‘My name is Jongdae, please wear it out as much as you like.’ With curled up lips he smiled pleasantly. _Jongdae, Jongdae, Jongdae_. It fitted better than Chen, Minseok thought.

‘Are you feeling any better yet?’ Jongdae asked after they settled on the couch together, a cup of tea for both. It would have been coffee for Minseok, if Jongdae hadn’t told him no and scolding it wouldn’t be good right before bed. Minseok placed his head on Jongdae’s shoulder and nodded.

After tea, Minseok led Jongdae to his bed with his fingers intertwined with the younger. Jongdae was visibly uncomfortable, his mind seemingly doing the calculations whether it would be wrong and if this was too weird. Minseok sighed and whispered an almost pathetic ‘please’, to which the former budged and agreed to it. Not willing to let the moment pass, Minseok snuggled against Jongdae’s tense body. The tenseness disappeared over time. Falling asleep in Jongdae’s arms had Minseok dreaming sweetly.

Minseok always learnt not to fall for your customers, but he fell hard for this one. He awoken next to the person that made his heart beat faster and he could not help the rush of emotions when looking at his sleeping stature. The man laid bundled up with his knees in a bend and his arm settled under his pillow, the muscles in his face relaxed into something serene and innocent.

He got out of his staring stupor and snapped a picture with his phone before he got out of bed to make coffee. He hadn’t asked Jongdae if he had any obligations today, but he couldn’t bring himself to wake him. Luckily, he didn’t have to, because the man sauntered into the kitchen area a moment later. He gave a sleep-ridden head bob and took a seat at the dining table.

‘Did you sleep well?’

Jongdae nodded. ‘You too? Are you feeling better?’

This time it was Minseok nodding. They sat in silence for a while, until Jongdae’s stomach audibly rumbled. They both chuckled from the sudden noise. Soon after, breakfast was served and Minseok was surprised how eagerly Jongdae ate. He complimented each dish as he chomped it down happily. He politely thanked for the hospitality but soon took his leave. He’d offered to help wash the dishes, but Minseok had declined the offer. While he scrubbed the plates clean, after he managed to pull a goodbye kiss from the younger man when he left, he wondered if Jongdae ever noticed Minseok’s affection towards him. It couldn’t be more obvious. Or maybe not, because none of his friends ever knew what he was thinking either. On the other hand, perhaps he chose not to notice. He wasn’t interested in any kind of relationship, as he had said before, even though he was very attentive to Minseok. Whether it was when Minseok spoke or if he was feeling not into something, Jongdae always noticed every small thing about him. That was a sign of attraction, was it not? He could lie awake thinking about Jongdae for ages. He wondered for how long he could accept the situation they are in, for how long being fucked for money by the man he’s in love with is still pleasurable and not just torturous towards his own feelings.


	7. Chapter 7

Minseok had been waiting impatiently for Jongdae this whole week. Not only because he hadn’t seen him since his loyal client left his apartment last week, but he had great news he wished to share. He had shared it with the few people in his life worth telling to, but most of them lived far away and the hype with them was not that palpable when typing it out.

‘Jongdae!!’ Minseok screamed when Jongdae entered the room. The latter’s eyes bulged and he honestly looked frightened. Minseok ran over and swooped him into his arms before he could pull open his mouth to scream ‘what the heck’ from the weird behaviour of the otherwise reserved prostitute. Instead, he laughed as he was twirled around.

‘What has gotten into you?’

‘I got a scholarship! They pay me to get a degree at an applied school!! I have been applying for those, since I can’t pay tuition all by myself, and last week I was granted one! It covers almost my whole study program!’ Minseok practically screamed at him, rattling so fast Jongdae’s eyes darted around trying to follow. It took a few second before he screamed and gave a congratulating kiss when Minseok let him stand on his own two feet again.

‘That’s amazing?! How did you get it? I didn’t know you were applying for a school? Tell me everything!!’ He was so excited for Minseok, Minseok could practically feel him glowing. Or maybe that was himself glowing, basking in the attention.

And so Minseok did. He told him he had found a fund for young entrepreneurs and had practically begged them to grant a scholarship for him to go back to school. After several interviews, they agreed on him following a study program in business management for social entrepreneurship. That was only if he had a written business plan, which he had managed to concoct working day and night on it between clients and free days. A few years ago he had grown fond of the idea of starting his own coffee shop. The ambience, the smell of grinded coffee beans, people coming to his shop to start the day, read a book or hang out with friends, it was the perfect picture he had painted and wanted to bring alive. They approved the business plan after he adjusted the plan with their critique.

The only downside that the study program was located in London, England, for its large community of social entrepreneurs and startups. Not that he minded the change of scenery, but his English proficiency was farfetched and he was anxious for making such a drastic lifechanging decision. Yes, it was what he had worked towards for over three years, but to have it suddenly on his doorstep was overwhelming him.

‘Wow, you’re so great, Minseok!’ Jongdae praised him and hugged him. ‘You worked so hard for this, you have more than earned it.’ Minseok had half the mind to decline, to say it wasn’t that much work, to downplay the struggles he went through. When he looked at Jongdae, the feeling evaporated. Jongdae was like a beacon of light, his eyes half-moons from the smile he was wearing. He looked, proud? So damn proud of Minseok.

‘We have to celebrate! You should have called me to bring cake, I was at the bakery this morning!’ Jongdae tsk’ed him with a small tap on the shoulder. ‘I think there’s a 24/7 store around the block, want to get some cake?’

With his hand intertwined with Jongdae’s, they took off to the store. It was only a small one, but they were lucky enough to get their hands on the last two cakes in the cooler. One was a chocolate mousse cake and the other a birthday cake with confetti and an edible picture of a clown on it. They laughed all throughout their little trip, joking about silly things they’d find. Jongdae left Minseok in the candy isle, only to return with a box of wax lights and matches.

‘They don’t sell those tiny candles you put on cakes here… So we have to improvise.’

‘Improvise with a box of 60 wax lights? That looks more like you’re going to sacrifice me to the devil.’

‘Well, it seems I have no other choice now.’ He answered solemnly.

‘As if he’d answer, I already made a pact with the devil years ago. You on the other hand…’

‘But I want candles on the cake,’ Jongdae whined noisily, pouting in protest.

Minseok stuck out his tongue in reply, leaving the man scandalized before he broke character and laughed. ‘You’re so weird, Minnie. Come on, the cake is getting warm. Let’s check out fast.’

With their cakes and candles in the bag, and all the items returned to their original spot in the store after Minseok scolded Jongdae and himself for getting carried away, Minseok linked their arms together on their way back to the brothel. Halfway through Jongdae whined that his other arm was tingling from carrying the bags, but after switching position his hand was the first to find Minseok’s.

Upon arrival back they realized a problem. They didn’t have any utensils to cut the cake nor eat with. Minseok only kept his usual chopsticks and spoon in his room for lunch or take away dinner. After horsing around for the spoon, Minseok eventually caved in and gave it to Jongdae. He smiled triumphantly and held it up high. Minseok clumsily cut a slice of cake for either of them with the chopsticks, dirtying his hands in the process. That turned out to work in his favour when he licked his hand clean and noticed Jongdae’s mischievous smile as he stared at him.

‘So, you’re starting next schoolyear? That’s only two months left.’ Jongdae asked as Minseok foolishly tried to put the slices of cake on the napkins they got at the store, since they also lacked plates in the room. The cake crumbled as he picked it up and messed up his carpeted floor. The urge to clean it right away was strong, but instead he put down the chopsticks and ignored the cake for now.

‘Yeah… I find it a little hard to swallow, knowing I will have to drop everything I have here. My work, my apartment, my friends…’ Acquaintances would be a better word than friends, but he didn’t want to put the focus there.

Jongdae placed his hand over Minseok’s fidgeting one, lending it for Minseok to play with. He did that often, knowing how restless Minseok’s hands would get.

‘I’m sure it’d be difficult. You’ve been stuck in this place for such a long time. In the end, I think you’ll look back at the stresses you face now and laugh, knowing how better off you will be at that point of time.’

‘Thank you. In the back of my mind I know that is true, but it’s just so hard to grasp. It has taken me so long to get this, I am almost clueless what to do now. What if I suck at studying and I screw up all my exams? If I drop out, then I literally have nothing anymore.’

Jongdae’s other hand came up and palmed Minseok’s jaw, caressing his cheek with his thumb. ‘You will do fine. You have ambition and that is what took you this far, but it is also what will make you work your ass off to get your degree. Whether it comes easily to you or not, I know you will succeed. If it means anything, I believe in you.’

Minseok was left speechless, dry-mouthed and an aching feeling of undeserving once again. ‘You’re so cheesy, Jongdae,’ he hastily remarked with a scoff and his eyes rolling back.

Jongdae chuckled in response. ‘I am, aren’t I? You love it though, don’t you deny it!’ He did.

‘Go eat your cake!’ He snapped back. He grabbed the crumbled one on the napkin and presented it to the younger man.

‘Wait, it still needs a candle!’

‘I didn’t want to break it to you like this, but we didn’t get a lighter.’

Jongdae sighed dramatically, dropping his head in Minseok’s lap and whining. ‘You didn’t say anything on purpose, did you?’

‘You were going to sacrifice me to the Devil!’

He lifted his head up just to pout angrily at Minseok. In return he reconciled with a chopstick-ful of cake. A mouthful and he was smiling once again.

‘Oh, it’s tasty!’ He extended a spoonful towards Minseok. ‘Try it?’

Jongdae fed Minseok and looked in anticipation as Minseok savored the flavor. With a thumbs up, Jongdae laughed and continued eating.

‘Remember when I blindfolded you the first time? I want to do that again. I have an idea.’ Minseok wiggled his eyebrows and Jongdae caved in easily. With the blindfold on, Jongdae immediately became more dependent. His hands laid slack next to his body as he waited for a guiding touch from Minseok, quiet and docile. His shoulders twitched when Minseok first placed his hands on either of them. The prostitute faced the man’s back as he rubbed his fingers in circular circles on his tightbound shoulders, his mouth latching onto his neck and nibbling little marks onto its skin.

‘I love how submissive people get when blinded, how they are so eager to give up control when they expect something good to come out of it.’ Minseok mumbled against the skin when he wasn’t abusing it.

Jongdae snorted softly, rolling his head back onto the older man’s shoulder. Full surrender, his neck exposed and willing to be marked. Minseok’s hand drifted from his shoulder to his pecks, his sides and ended up with his palm rubbing his groin. The man twitched again, this time making a tiny sound too. It led to Minseok digging his hand underneath the cloth, rubbing the shaft into hardness.

‘Touch me more, Minseok,’ Jongdae practically moaned, his head turned towards Minseok’s to leave small kisses on his jaw.

‘Are you still hungry?’

‘Eh?’ Jongdae replied and lifted his head, giving Minseok the space to dodge the whipped cream-rich birthday cake he unceremonially smashed into the younger’s face.

Jongdae squeaked and followed it up by a drawn out ‘why~!’ He withdrew the blindfold from his eyes and stared incredulously at the older man, whom erupted into laughter from the man’s distorted face. It didn’t take long for the other to join, certainly not when Minseok roared louder when a chunk of cake fell from his head right onto his groin, staining the pants.

The older male couldn’t keep a straight face anymore and whenever he tried to be serious again, he looked at the younger’s face only to be off in another laughing spree.

‘Ahh, why did you do that? You made a mess out of me!’ Jongdae whined.

Minseok wiped the tears away from his eyes and leaned in closer, swooping a finger against Jongdae’s glaced cheek and feeding it to him. He couldn’t help chuckling again when the man refused, but eventually opened up his mouth for him.

The second Minseok turned his head away, Jongdae was on him with the bigger chunks of cakes that had dropped on the floor, holding his neck with one hand while the other mushed the soft delight into the older man’s face. He battled against it with limbs and heart, but Jongdae was relentless with his onslaught. He cowered and that gave the man the advantage to dominate him, his body weight on his body and his hands pinning his’ down. He had only given him a second to breathe when Minseok spotted the other cake that Jongdae was reaching for.

‘Nooo, don’t you dare!’ He screamed too late. It only took a second for the man to grab the box and flip it right above Minseok’s face. That wouldn’t have been the worst part, the worst was when Jongdae released Minseok’s hands and pressed them both onto the cake drenching the pinned man completely in chocolate goodness.

‘Guess who is blinded now, will you be a good boy for me?’ Jongdae cackled. Minseok laid stunned with his hands hovering his face, not wanting to stir it into a bigger mess. The thick layer of mousse had taken his sight away and he wasn’t quite sure what to do. He flinched when Jongdae lifted his shirt and rested his greasy fingers on his chest. The risen pressure on his chest was born from the man lowering himself on him. His tongue swept over the sugar-coated lips of Minseok. He expected a kiss from the other, but his pouting lips were left moist and coated.

‘You are right, people really do become more pliant when they’re blindfolded. Cute.’

The man sat upright again, his bottom fitting tightly on the prostitute’s groin. Hands danced around his body, his senses tingling when fingers trailed his chest and abs. They were cool and sticky, leaving a trail behind. Sometimes they would scoop up more brown goodness from the remnants dripping off his face, making the next trails slowly warm up from the temperature of Minseok’s body.

Next Jongdae was hovering near his face again, his breath amplifying the sensation of the mousse on his skin. Something pressed against his eyes and when Jongdae asked him to raise his head, Minseok figured it was the blindfold Jongdae had thrown off after being assaulted by the cake.

Despite his initial thought to move, he let himself be handled by the younger client. After he tied a knot, which would probably fall out as soon as Minseok would lift his head, he kissed his cheek. His tongue slipped out shyly and licked up the goop, returning in favor of kissing Minseok’s lips. He immediately responded, fitting their lips together. He could only taste chocolate.

Somewhere along the line of Jongdae’s caressing lips eating cake of Minseok’s body and them both becoming aroused by something as ridiculous as that, they had shed their clothing and managed to create an even bigger mess of the room and their bodies. Minseok’s hair was pulled back and coated in a thick layer of brown, while Jongdae’s face would be considered clean if not for the stickiness of residue whipped cream and saliva.

‘Sit against the bed,’ Jongdae demanded rather than said, his voice full of lust and neediness as he rubbed himself against Minseok for one last time before giving him room to do as he was asked. The blindfold fell as he crawled over, finally giving him back the vision. He looked at the room and begrudgingly wondered how long it would take to clean it up. He pushed the thought away when Jongdae came walking towards him after grabbing the lube and condoms from the cabinet. Minseok admired his thighs as he walked.

He sat himself back on Minseok, whose hands eagerly clamped on the flesh presented to him. Jongdae let him do his thing as he fidgeted the bottle open and spread his fingers with the substance. He had washed his hands too, perhaps the blindfold made Minseok a little slow as well.

With eyes wide did Minseok watch Jongdae lean over his body and sticking his butt out, his buttcheeks opening up from the pose. He reached behind and easily took in a finger. Minseok’s fingers were itching to join in, but it would have been unsanitary considering his still dirty hands. A second finger was added and Minseok sat marveling the other man. He must have prepared himself earlier. He had already planned out that much for tonight. The thought made Minseok even more aroused.

After the hasty preparation, Jongdae retracted his fingers and stationed himself onto Minseok. Even prepared, his hole was tight and fluttering from the intrusion. They both sighed when he was thoroughly nestled in, Jongdae leaning in and biting his shoulder to distract from the discomfort.

Minseok sat patient for a cue to start moving while Jongdae adjusted to his size filling him. It took little time till the other started grinding his hips in circular motion and whispered

‘Feels so good’ into his ear.

Minseok bucked up his hips, hitting Jongdae’s sensitive spot as soon as he became familiar with his body once again. Minseok halted his movement when Jongdae screamed, not expecting such a drawn out noise from him. Jongdae seemed taken aback as well by his reaction, his hand covering his mouth. Despite the slight blush on his cheeks, the man started bouncing on the prostitute’s cock without hesitation. It spurred Minseok on to continue, slamming back as Jongdae came down.

Jongdae feverishly kissed him, his clean hands dragging through the sticky locks of his hair. It wasn’t long before both had to break off the kiss because they were panting too heavily.

‘Come, lie down on the bed.’ Minseok motioned to it and patted the man’s thigh as a sign to get up. They scrambled onto the bed. Jongdae readily opened his legs for Minseok to settle between. With his knees to his chest, Minseok could easily push into Jongdae. With the new position he was able to put more power into his thrusts. The younger man underneath him became more and more vocal, mixing moans with swear words and occasionally Minseok’s name. No longer did he call him Xiumin, his real name being spilt so easily was way more exhilarating. He unwound soon after that, Minseok’s name on his lips while his fingers clawed at the sheets underneath him. His face scrunched up with his chin in the air. The sight alone gave Minseok’s the edge to orgasm himself. The release knocked all energy out of him and he dropped himself onto the younger man.

They laid like that for a while, both unmoving. Jongdae was the first to budge and tilt Minseok next to him so he could sit up.

He looked down at Minseok and smiled. ‘You know, you’ve changed.’ Minseok blinked. Jongdae continued before he could interfere. ‘When I first came you hurried to get me out of the door again, because I was just a customer and you’re only here to do business, right? But now you’re laying content next to me, staring with such big eyes.’

‘I…’

‘I really like it though! Thank you for sharing your celebrations with me.’ His hand reached out and went through his hair again, this time he retracted it with a pout from the grease sticking to his fingertips. ‘Mind if I take a shower?’

Minseok shook his head and watched as Jongdae pattered across the room butt naked, grabbing only his underwear with him. With him out of the room, Minseok dragged his body up. The room was a mess, so after putting on shorts and a simple shirt, he undid the sheets of the bed and picked up the crumbs off the floor. He’d have to get a carpet cleaner to remove the stains on the carpeted floors, but for now he dabbed them clean to the best of his abilities.

‘Hey, do you maybe have some clothes I could borrow?’ Jongdae asked as he squatted next to the pile of clothing thrown next to the bathroom entrance. He lifted his shirt from it, showing the big stain around the collar. He only wore his underwear, but covered his upper body with a towel.

Minseok nodded. He went through his closet looking for something decent the man could wear. He ended up with a black sleeveless top with crude writing on it and ripped jeans.

‘The sweats I keep around are in the laundry at the moment, so I can only offer you these.’ Luckily Jongdae had smaller hips and easily fit into them. A little lose at the waist, but he could use the belt he wore earlier.

‘Thanks! I’ll drop by tomorrow to give them back, okay?’

‘Sure, sure.’ Minseok waved his hand.

‘Here, why don’t you go shower now? I’ll clean this bit up.’ The client offered and placed his hand on the rag Minseok was cleaning the floor with.

‘It’s okay, you don’t have to,’ he answered, but Jongdae wouldn’t release his hand. He shot a glance at the man, who gave him a stern look back. ‘Fine.’ He sighed and let go of the rag.

Satisfied, the younger man patted Minseok’s butt as he stood up. ‘Good boy.’

Minseok scowled, but it only made the man laugh in return. He put extra emphasis on his hips as he walked, shutting the man up quickly. Predictable.


	8. Chapter 8

With his last week in Korea before he would head off to England, Minseok was anxious and frightful. His bags were already packed and his apartment was emptied from all its valuables, anything to have a few extra bucks while abroad. The last remains of edibles in his apartment were already finished, so he spent the last days in various cheap restaurants. It was there where he ran into Jongdae, loaded with shopping bags as he arrived in the small noodle shop Minseok was currently dining alone in. Jongdae had taken a seat across the room, but when he noticed Minseok he smiled and came over.

‘Are you here alone?’

Minseok nodded and finished his mouthful before he asked, ‘Care to join me?’.

Jongdae agreed and sat down next to him, his bags placed underneath the table.

‘Did you go shopping today? You seem to have bought a lot.’ Minseok asked between sips and bites from his noodle soup. He didn’t want his food to get cold while Jongdae waited for his order.

‘I have. It was necessary, I feel like I’ve been wearing the same shirt for ages now.’ He rummaged through the bags and showcased some of the pieces he bought. ‘Do you like them? I especially like these boots. The laces are chains, how cool is that?’

‘I love those, you will look so good in them.’ Minseok replied and his comment awarded him with a shy smile from Jongdae.

Jongdae’s order arrived shortly after. Jongdae happily shared the slices of beef in his noodle dish with Minseok, feeding it to him.

‘You look so happy when you’re eating, it’s really adorable.’ Jongdae commented, the tips of his lips curled up in a sweet smile. He gave what Minseok registered as a loving gaze, if he could be so bold to imply it.

‘Thanks?’ he replied sarcastically, his cheeks blushing red from the comment. He’d have liked to reply saying Jongdae looked happy while eating too, but then he realized that Jongdae looks happy most of the time anyway.

‘Tell you what. If you pay for dinner, I’ll reward you with something else,’ Minseok said, winking and putting on a seductive act.

‘You’ve been in this industry too long if you start saying things like that…’ Jongdae replied, a glint of something more displayed in the orbs staring at the older.

‘Who said I wasn’t flirting with you?’

Jongdae barked a laugh. ‘That’s not how you roll.’

‘So now you suddenly know me through and through?’ Minseok raised an eyebrow. ‘Don’t act like you know me.’

‘You’re still putting up a front like this? And here I thought I would have gained your trust by now.’

Minseok didn’t even know why he reacted like this. He could admit that he had a massive wall for anyone and breaking it was near damn impossible, but that would seem redundant at this point. Jongdae seemed to have already figured him out perfectly. He was the first to notice all Minseok’s small quirks, those that not even Minseok thought he did. Like rubbing his fingers between every new piece of fabric in clothing he came in contact with, no matter what he would be doing in the meantime. Or how he slightly scrunched his nose while counting money. It was not only visual things, it was almost like he could feel when Minseok had special needs during an off day, despite Minseok’s best effort to hide it from all his clients.

He is broken away from his thoughts by Jongdae’s sigh. ‘Why do you fear someone getting close to you so much? Or is it just me, a nobody, a client, that you cannot trust?’

He could reply honestly. He could say he always had issues with his father and that it has left him emotionally crippled when it comes to reciprocating love. He could also say it was the influence of his past relationships. His first boyfriend was a substance abuser that made him volatile to handle, which subsequently is reason why Minseok has a criminal record that doesn’t allow him to get a more decent job. His second boyfriend was emotionally abusive and had put a dent in both Minseok’s self-esteem and heart. Maybe one would call it the darkest period in his life, but he never experienced it as such. If anything, the darkness only took over after he got out of the bad situation, opening his eyes for what he put himself through and having to truthfully deal with it was a far more grieving process. He decided to remain silent.

Jongdae shifted into his seat, causing Minseok to flinch in worry he was taking his leave. Instead, Jongdae placed his hand on his arm and gave him a consoling smile. They didn’t speak, but Minseok felt himself calm under the sweet pretense of Jongdae’s kindness. He didn’t know why he always acted like this, like Minseok was someone precious to him. He really wanted to believe he liked him, but hadn’t he already debunked that early on when he spoke about his boyfriend breaking up with him because he showed love to everyone? He must be that kind of person, making Minseok an idiot if he’d fall for him. If, certainly he couldn’t actually fall in love with a client.

‘So… You’re leaving soon, aren’t you?’ Jongdae asked.

Minseok nodded. ‘Actually, I am leaving next week. I already quit at the brothel so don’t bother going there anymore.’

Jongdae grimaced. ‘What if we didn’t meet each other here, would I never have seen you again?’

Minseok shrugged. ‘I cannot say goodbye easily. In fact, I hate it. If I can avoid it, then I rather do that.’

Jongdae stared at his near-empty bowl. ‘What a shitty thing to say. Are you really that selfish? I know you have issues, Minseok, but this feels like a slap to the face. Was I too audacious to assume we established any sort of friendship or mutual understanding of each other?’

Minseok could only stare at him, the younger man’s eyes still downcast, and see what Jongdae had indeed perceived as friendship crumble away by his own fears.

‘You know what? Never mind. Thank you for everything, Minseok.’ The utter dejection from those words tore on Minseok’s heartstrings.

‘Don’t leave yet.’

‘Ever played baseball? Three strikes and I’m out. You solicit me for free food, tell me I don’t know you and now I hear you never planned to actually give a proper goodbye. I deserve better than this.’

He stood up and walked to the waitress with his wallet emerging from his back pocket. On his way back he gave Minseok a solemn nod, then headed to the door. It would have made a perfectly dramatic exit, if not for the shopping bags laying forgotten under the table. He scrambled back and hurriedly grabbed the bags. In his hurry a handle of one of the bags broke. He stumbled around, the cold demeanor he put on lay wasted at the front door.

‘I hope you enjoyed the sight of my back, just wanted to show that and pretend I’d walk away. Totally didn’t forget about my bags when I planned my leave.’ He almost begrudgingly added, if not for the dumb grin appearing from his slipup.

‘Come watch a movie with me.’ Minseok said, the words passed his lips before he could think about it.

Chen looked at him, catching the resolution in his eyes. ‘What?’ Minseok could see the range of emotions flashing, none of which he understood.

‘I don’t want it to end like this. I’m sorry, I’m trying.’ He stuttered. He had no clue what he was doing anymore, he just knew he was clinging onto what just a week ago had been a dour decision to let go.

‘Okay.’

‘Okay?’

‘I will come.’

Their walk to the cinema was quiet, the palpable tension between them was weird and it was freaking Minseok out. He felt the pressure of someone knocking on his walls with a sledgehammer when he had tried so hard to make those walls impenetrable. Jongdae remained silent, but then again, so did Minseok. At the cinema they picked the first movie that popped up on the screen. An action movie, excellent to avoid any deep provoking thoughts. Minseok’s head was already swarming with those anyway. Minseok paid for tickets and popcorn. They still had 15 minutes before the movies would start, that is after 30 minutes of ads and trailers playing first.

They were the first to arrive in the screen room. After settling into their seats, popcorn in one hand, drinks in the cup holder and their jackets stowed away in the seat beside them, Jongdae finally spoke up beyond the small pleasantries of interacting with the staff at the counter.

‘What am I to you, Minseok?’ He asked on a neutral tone, pretending casually but the grim meaning behind it lingered.

‘You are a lot to me, Jongdae. I worry about you, about myself, about this. I worry that I’ve broken rules that shouldn’t be broken, I worry that I’m making grave mistakes and yet I feel like regardless of what I do, those mistakes will be made.’

Jongdae sighed. ‘You always speak in riddles, I cannot understand you. So then, can I say what is on my mind?’ He waited till Minseok nodded his head, still avoiding eye contact with him. ‘When I came to you for services, it was just something to take my mind off things. Nowadays I’ve been thinking more about you as person, how well we actually connect. I really enjoy spending time with you and I want to know you better. I thought we were on the same wavelength on that, certainly after how much you opened up to me. Was I wrong?’

Minseok chanced a look at him. He seemed just as insecure as he was himself, as awkward as he had ever seen him be. He was vulnerable and Minseok didn’t know how to deal with it. So instead of reacting with words, he leaned in and kissed him. Jongdae kissed back, but pulled away again. He opened his mouth to speak, so Minseok pecked him and pulled him into a hug, not minding the popcorn in between them. Luckily Jongdae was more sensible and pulled it away, held awkwardly with his free hand.

‘Minseok…’ Jongdae whispered, defeated and worn out.

‘Please don’t make me do this.’ Minseok pleaded. His body twitched from the amount of uncomfortableness he found himself in, it was too much to handle a honest conversation. Jongdae didn’t press any further after retracting from their hug, and with the movie starting it didn’t leave much room to speak anymore either. 

After the movie ended, they walked out of the theater hand in hand. It was unclear whether Jongdae had accepted the way things went or if he was too tired to even try, but he wore a small smile again, albeit a bit insincere.

‘It’s a shame you are leaving so soon already… Can I take you out for dinner the day before your departure?’ He asked when they stood at the intersection where they would split.

‘Yeah, sure.’

While the man smiled at the response, it didn’t reach his eyes.

‘I’m sorry…’ Minseok whispered, but the cars driving past canceled out the words.

‘Can we become friends after that? We can exchange e-mails, we could even call each other through Skype someday. That is, if the time zones are not too convoluted to work with. Maybe I could even visit sometimes, I always wanted to go to London.’ He ranted on, his voice raising with every prospect of maintaining their ‘friendship’.

Minseok smiled sadly, which didn’t go unnoticed by the younger man.

‘You don’t want that?’ He asked in concern. His face contorted into one of emotional hurt, a sad emotion on one that always smiles. Today he has seen many more emotions from him, but the thought they were all negative wasn’t a comforting one.

‘I do, I do!’ He exclaimed and attempted his brightest smile. It didn’t go well. ‘I’m just sad and bitter we couldn’t meet earlier. I would have loved to spend more time with you like this. I mean, watching movies and eating at places. You’re great, Jongdae.’

Minseok handed him a quickly scribbled note, an e-mail address written on it that was not quite identical to his own. Two letters short of what is should have been, he folded Jongdae’s fingers around it and whispered to take care. The man wasn’t given time to react, because Minseok dove in for a kiss right after. He ensnared him into a snug hug, one hand behind his neck to pull him in closer. The kiss was needy and desperate, his tongue trailing every inch of the other’s mouth like it could be mapped out. When he pulled away, Jongdae stared at him.

‘Thanks for everything.’ Minseok whispered, not waiting for a reply as he turned around and quickly walked off. It was a good thing he couldn’t see his face as he left, because he was certain it would hold as much disappointment as Minseok felt. With no mind for the red lights or pedestrians, he ran home.

The moment he closed the door of the small and soon to be not his apartment, he dropped to the floor and bawled. The tears streamed down his cheeks, the weight of his decision breaking him apart. Replaying the conversations he had with the younger man made him imagine his chances with the guy. Despite Minseok’s reserved demeanor and mood swings, Jongdae had agreed to go to the cinema with him. Even when he already screwed up before that. And then he screwed up even more. Even when he was a complete dick, Jongdae forgave him and was trying his earnest to have an honest conversation. Minseok didn’t deserve him, he knew it. After all, he was just a whore the man would frequently visit. Nothing less, nothing more. It wouldn’t better his life if Minseok was there, and even if it did, he wouldn’t be able to be there because of his scholarship. Maybe in another life their relationship could have flourished. One where Minseok didn’t carry so many mental scars and where they had met under better circumstances.

So no, this was the best decision. A hard one, but at least one would benefit from it. That one just wasn’t Minseok.

*

To: [kimminseok78@gmail.com](mailto:kimminseok78@gmail.com)

Heeyy,

Have you arrived in England yet? I hope you traveled safely. Are you excited about your classes?

Thank you for giving me your e-mail address, I didn’t expect you to want to be friends. You know, I always had this weird feeling about you. Like you were someone special. For moments, I also thought you liked me. I really don’t develop romantic feelings for people, so relationships have always been straining on me. I was afraid actually, ahaha, that you’d confess to me. Silly, isn’t it? I like this much better. Althoo, maybe I would have said yes to you. You’re special, Minseok, I feel like we’re very compatible. I’m talking weird, aren’t I? Hahaha I’ll quit. I just wanted to tell you that I wish you good luck with your studies and tell me all about it soon!!

Xx Jongdae

______

To: Kjongdae-.-@live.com

This is an automatically generated Delivery Status Notification.

Delivery to the following recipients failed:

[kimminseok78@gmail.com](mailto:kimminseok78@gmail.com)


	9. Epilogue

_Out of all the people Minseok could have potentially met, he just had to walk into the only Korean tourist joining the walking tour and Belgrade’s walking tour._

_‘Oh my, you’re also Korean? I thought I’d never see one of brethren in this dusty old place!’ The stranger exclaimed, happily attaching himself to Minseok’s arm. ‘I’m Byun Baekhyun, let’s be friends.’ And just like that it happened. Baekhyun was doing a Europe tour to ‘rediscover’ himself while Minseok was doing his thesis in Serbia’s capital Belgrade. What would have been 2 days in Serbia became a week for Mr. Byun, vacating in Minseok’s studio apartment while he ate all his snacks. It was weird how easily they bonded, Minseok blamed it on his loneliness and Baekhyun said it was a sign from the Gods. His religious views must have also been on his agenda for his rediscovery._

_He would have gotten rid of him by writing a fake e-mail address down for him, but Baekhyun was smarter than that and tested it right away. And so he ended up receiving endless e-mails from the two-year younger man, filled with holiday pictures, rants about his life and the numbness he felt before he went on a trip and his endless cries of homesickness. Somewhere between those e-mails they discussed deeper conversations, their ambitions, aspirations, dreams. It was Baekhyun who pitched the idea of setting up an organization to help youth and young adults cope with the highly competitive job market in Korea, explaining he studied pedagogical and educational science in Germany and was dying to improve Korea’s alarming suicide rates among the young and not so carefree as they should._

_It evolved into a business model in which troubled youngsters would work in Minseok’s coffeeshop, learning the trade of coffeemaking, business and sales, but also gain social skills._

_With a business plan written out and a diploma in his pocket, Minseok was greeted by Baekhyun when he stepped onto the soils of Korea once again. Two years went by like it was nothing, but it was anything but that for Minseok. He had never felt this content._

‘Another interview?’ Minseok asked when his friend and business partner Baekhyun hung up the phone after 10 minutes.

‘Yup, this time for a magazine I cannot even pronounce the name off. I’ve set myself up for Tuesday at 11, sure you don’t want to come?’ The younger man asked.

Minseok declined. Baekhyun was the talented speaker of the two, while Minseok rather worked behind the scenes and behind his coffee machine. It had only been four months since he returned to Korea, but because of their hard work they were able to get permits and funding in no time. Of course, it wasn’t like they reached international news with their idea, but it garnered more attention than regular businesses would because of the stigma surrounding school drop outs and mental health issues. They decided to roll with it and make their opening a big deal, they could always use more funds.

The first week the shop opened was chaotic. The media attention it received before its official opening made people curious, so the lineup for the store was huge. While that would have been manageable with a well-prepared team, the employees hired only had a few hours of training and couldn’t handle the stress. Baekhyun was useless too since he didn’t know how to make coffee and burned half of the baked goods he tried to make. That meant everything rested on Minseok’s shoulders. However, despite the long hours and aching fingers, he was really content.

On the fourth week, they grew more confident and efficient. It was Tuesday morning around 10, past the morning rush. Minseok had taken a load off the administrative work Baekhyun was responsible for, since he had another interview. He was sitting with all the papers on one of the tables next to the bar, close enough so that his employees could still ask questions when it was necessary. There were currently three working, the two were mopping the floor while the third hung around the bar cleaning one of the machines.

He was too concentrated to hear someone approach him, but when a small voice spoke his name he lifted his face. He gasped when he saw his old, favorite client standing in front of him.

‘Jongdae?’

‘Hey… Mind if I join you for a little while?’ He smiled, looking a little insecure.

Minseok jumped up and gestured towards the empty chair in front of him. He had so many feelings overwhelming him that it had stolen his tongue. 

‘I, Jongdae, I… You’re here!’ He sputtered when the man sat down and took off his coat.

‘I could say the same about you, so you’re finally back from England?’

Minseok nodded. ‘How did you find me?’

‘I saw it on the news. You should have seen my face, I never would have thought I’d see you on the news like this!’ He laughed in that all-familiar resonating sound, the warmth of it tingling in Minseok’s stomach.

They were interrupted by an employee, handing them two coffees. ‘One mocha and a cappuccino, enjoy.’ Minseok cocked his head at him and the employee shrugged, nodding towards the customer who had paid for it.

‘He told me you liked cappuccino in the morning, is it okay?’ Jongdae smiled at both the employee and Minseok.

‘Thanks, Jongin.’ Minseok accepted the cup of cappuccino from him and then thanked Jongdae.

Both sipped on their coffee quietly.

‘This is okay, isn’t it?’ Jongdae twirled the spoon in his drink, not taking his eyes off it. ‘When I tried sending you a mail two years ago, it said the e-mail wasn’t in use… I think maybe you’ve misspelled it or something. I wanted to contact you sooner, but I didn’t know how. I’m sorry.’ He apologized.

‘Jongdae…’ Minseok sighed. He hated himself for writing down a fake e-mail address, but at the time it felt like he had no other option. How would he be able to uphold his façade of friendliness when he was in love with the younger male. He had spent weeks crying over him and hating himself for not deserving him. Even if he would have been rejected, he would have gained a new friend. Hearing he had still been on the man’s mind all this time made his heart ache even more.

When he first returned to Korea, the thought crossed his mind he could run into Jongdae again someday. He had even hoped as much. What he wasn’t aware of until now was how much he still loved him, how much he wanted him by his side and have him be part of his world. His new, improved world where he would only look forward, where he would help lost souls like he, himself, once was. It was a world he dearly wanted to share, one to be proud of.

‘Fuck, Jongdae. I love you.’

Jongdae’s eyes widened. ‘What?’

‘I don’t know where to start, but I really, really like you. When I last saw you, I couldn’t bear the commitment. And so I kept quiet. I don’t want to stay quiet anymore. Please, go on a date with me.’

‘What if I have a boyfriend?’

Minseok blinked. ‘Well then you break up with him or you share, I don’t care!’ He whined. His heart was beating in his throat and he wasn’t even sure if he was still enunciating his words well.

Jongdae chuckled and shook his head. ‘You’re impossible. But yea, let’s go on a date together.’ The blush on his cheeks didn’t go unnoticed.

Minseok leaned forward and used the gained bravado to ask for a kiss.

‘Aren’t you working? No playtime during work!’ Jongdae joked, but leaned in to close the distance and smacked his lips against the other. Minseok was too overjoyed to notice the scandalized looks of his employees, or the tipped over espresso bleeding its content onto the paper. For now, everything was perfect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Comments are always appreciated :)


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